Safety hat for water skiers



Oct. 26, 1965 R. M. LEVY ETAL. 3,213,823

SAFETY HAT FOR WATER SKIERS Filed June 15, 1964 INVENTORS. Robe/'7 M. Levy BY Linus fldon Wage/7g United States Patent 3,213,823 SAFETY HAT FORWATER SKIERS Robert M. Levy, 1707 Franklin, Lexington, M0., and LinusEldon Wegeng, Rte. 1, Henrietta, Mo. Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No.374,913 7 Claims. ((11. 116-114) This invention relates to headgear forsportsmen and, more particularly, to a hat or cap having warning meansthereon and adapted to be used by water skiers.

Since the sport of water skiing becomes more popular every year, lakesand rivers are becoming increasingly crowded with boats and waterskiers. As a result of these crowded conditions many accidents occurwhich result in injuries to water skiers when they are struck byoncoming boats after they have been spilled into the water upon losingcontrol of their water skis and as they are waiting to be picked up bytheir towboats.

It is sometimes difficult to observe a person in the water when only thehead of the person is above the surface of the water. This is especiallytrue where certain reflections from the water almost completelyobliterate any objects protruding above the surface. Also, in view ofthe relatively high speeds of small motor boats it is sometimesdiflicult to change course in time to avoid striking a person if theperson is not observed from a relatively great distance.

Children who water ski are generally oblivious to the dangers ofapproaching motorboats inasmuch as their attentions are distracted forone reason or another while they are in the water waiting to be pickedup. A large percentage of the water accidents involving water skiersresults in injuries to children who do not take proper precautionarymeasures to warn boat operators approaching their positions in thewater.

In View of the foregoing, a need exists for 21 Warning device for use bywater skiers which is simple in construction yet which serves to warnapproaching boat drivers of the presence of an individual in the waterwhile the individual is waiting to be picked up or is swimming to shoreafter being spilled into the water upon loss of control of the waterskis. The present invention satisfies this need by providing a safetydevice for water skiers comprised of a head covering or cap of theconventional type used by bathers and having a mast provided with awarning device thereon so that, when the water skier is in the water,the mast will protrude upwardly therefrom and the warning device on themast will signal the presence of the water skier to operators ofapproaching boats.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to providea safety hat for water skiers which can be worn in such a manner that awarning signal will be displayed in a position observable by theoperator of an approaching boat when the water skier is in the waterwith only his head protruding above the surface thereof.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hat of theaforesaid character having warnings means thereon which is automaticallydisposed in an observable position when the wearer of the hat is in thewater, whereby the wearer need not take any steps to place the warningdevice in the position and thus he can turn his attention to otheractivities such as maintaining the position in the water until helparrives.

Yet another object of the instant invention is the provision of a hat ofthe aforesaid character having warning means which may be worn in aretracted position but which moves automatically into an extended,operative position by the force of the water thereon as the wearer isspilled into the water, whereby the warning means automatically movesinto the operative position and can be readily observed by operators ofapproaching or passing motor boats from a relatively great distance fromthe ice wearer so as to warn such operators of the presence of thewearer in the water.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is one embodiment of the hat made pursuant to the concepts ofthe present invention and illustrating its use on the head of a wearerthereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the hatillustrating the way in which the warning means thereof is attachedthereto;

FIG. 3 is another and preferred embodiment of the: hat showing thewarning means in a retracted position prior to use thereof;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the spring clip formaintaining the warning means in a retracted position;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the spring clip; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the warning means and the base forattaching the same to the hat.

The present invention is directed to a hat having 0bservable warningmeans thereon for use by water skiers to signal to the operator of anapproaching motor boat the presence of the wearer in the water in thevicinity of the path of travel of the boat. The hat comprises a hatmember having a crown from which the warning means extends in an upwarddirection. The warning means includes a base rigidly secured to thecrown of the hat, a mast projecting outwardly from the base, and awarning device, such as a pennant, on the outer end of the mast. Thepennant may be of brightly colored material so as to be readily observedfrom a relatively great distance.

In one embodiment of the invention, the mast is at all times maintainedin a position extending outwardly from the crown. In another embodiment,the base is provided with a spring clip for releasably maintaining themast in a retracted position extending rearwardly of the crown but, uponcontact with the water when the wearer is spilled into the water, themast will automatically move into an operative, observable positionextending upwardly from the crown.

The first embodiment of the hat is denoted by the numeral 10 andincludes a hat number 12 having a crown 14 and adapted to be worn on thehead in the usual manner. Hat member 12 may be of any construction butpreferably it is made in the same manner as conventional bathing caps.

Warning means 16 is coupled with and extends outwardly from crown 14-and comprises a base 18 having a mast 2i) integral therewith andextending outwardly from one face 22 thereof. The opposite face 24 ofbase 18 is in complemental engagement with and bonded to the outersurface of crown 14 in any suitable manner such as by an adhesive. Ifhat member 12 and base 18 are formed of thermoplastic materials, thesame may be fused together upon the application of heat thereto.

A warning device in the nature of a pennant 26 is socured to and extendslaterally from the upper end of mast 20. Pennant 26 may be formed of afabric material or can be rigid as shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, pennant 26is preferably brightly colored so as to be observed from a relativelygreat distance therefrom.

In use, mast 20 extends upwardly from crown 14 at all times as hat 10 isworn and, when the wearer is spilled into the water or otherwise is inthe water for some reason, mast 20 will extend upwardly from crown 14and pennant 26 will be observed in substantially all directions.

Another embodiment of the hat is denoted by the numeral and isillustrated in FIGS. 3-6. Hat 110 includes a hat member 112 having acrown 114- and warning means 116 secured to crown 114. Hat member 112 isto be worn in the usual way on the head of the wearer.

Warning means 116 includes an oval base 118 having a mast 120 integraltherewith and projecting outwardly from one face 122 thereof adjacentone extremity as shown in FIG. 6. The opposite face 124 of base 118 isin complemental engagement with and is bonded to the outer surface ofcrown 114. If hat member 112 and base 118 are formed of thermoplasticmaterials, base 118 may be fused to crown 114 by the application of heatthereto. Mast 120 is formed from a resilient material and is of adiameter such that the same may be folded or bent at a location denotedby the numeral 125 adjacent to the connection of mast 120 with base 118.

A pennant 126 is secured to the outer end of mast 120 and serves as awarning device therefor. Pennant 126 may be formed in the same way aspennant 26.

A U-shaped spring clip 128, having a bight 130 and a pair of opposedsides sides 132, is secured at the bight 130 thereof to base 118 so thatsides 132 project outwardly from face 122 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.Spring clip 128 is, as shown in FIG. 6, adjacent the opposite extremityof base 118 and in alignment with mast 120 so that, as the latter isfolded or bent at location 125, mast 120 will pass between sides 132 andwill be gripped thereby so that mast 120 Will be releasably maintainedin the retracted position thereof illustrated in FIG. 3. In thisposition, mast 120 extends rearwardly of hat member 112 and does notinterfere with the vision of the wearer. As shown in FIG. 5, sides 132may be coated with the same material which forms base 118, and a washer134 or the like secured to bight 130 may be used to assure a firminterconnection between bight 130 and base 118 when bight 130 isembedded therewithin. Clip 128, however, may be secured in any suitablemanner to base 118.

In use, mast 120 is normally in the retracted position shown in FIG. 5during normal water skiing operations, but if the wearer is spilled intothe water upon loss of control of his skis, the force of the water onmast 120 and pennant 126 will move mast 120 out of spring clip 128 andthe resilience of mast 120 will cause the same to extend upwardly frombase 118 and be maintained in an upright position with respect to crown114. Thus, pennant 126 may be viewed from substantially all directionsand therefore provide a signal to warn approaching or passing boats ofthe presence of the wearer in the water.

The present invention, therefore, provides a warning device which can beobserved from substantially all directions and at relatively largedistances from the wearer so as to signal the presence of the wearer inthe water. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 36, thewarning means is maintained in a retracted, inoperative position untilready for use and is automatically moved into an operative, observableposition when the wearer is spilled into the water.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A safety hat for water skiers comprising:

a hat member having a crown section and adapted to be worn over the headof the user thereof;

a resilient mast secured to the hat member and biased toward a locationextending upwardly from said crown section, said mast being movablerelative to said hat member into a folded position in close, directoverlying relationship to said crown section;

means on the crown section of the hat member for normally maintainingthe mast in said folded position and operable to release said mast toits normal upward position upon impact of the mast against the waterwhen the skier falls; and

means defining a warning device on the upper end of said mast.

2. A safety hat as set forth in claim 1, wherein is provided a baserigidly mounted on the outer surface of the crown, said mast beingintegral with said base.

3. A safety hat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hat member isformed from a flexible material, and wherein is provided a base bondedto the outer surface of said crown, said mast being integral with thebase.

4. A safety hat as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base has an innersurface complentally engaging said outer surface of the crown when sadibase is secured thereto.

5. A safety hat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said maintaining meansincludes a spring clip.

6. A safety hat as set forth in claim 6, wherein said maintaining meansincludes a U-shaped spring clip having a bight and a pair of sidessecured to the bight, said bight being coupled with said hat member inspaced relationship to the mast, said mast being disposed between saidsides and releasably gripped thereby when said mast in said position.

7. A safety hat as set forth in claim 6, wherein is pro vided a basebonded to the outer surface of said crown, said mast being integral withsaid base, said bight being rigidly secured to said base with said sidesextending outwardly therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,423 10/47Hurban 116132 3,104,644 9/63 Burton ll6ll4 3,106,184 10/63 Shea ll61l4LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

1. A SAFETY HAT FOR WATER SKIERS COMPRISING: A HAT MEMBER HAVING A CROWNSECTION AND ADAPTED TO BE WORN OVER THE HEAD OF THE USER THEREOF; ARESILIENT MAST SECURED TO THE HAT MEMBER AND BIASED TOWARD A LOCATIONEXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CROWN SECTION, SAID MAST BEING MOVABLERELATIVE TO SAID HAT MEMBER INTO A FOLDED POSITION IN CLOSE, DIRECTOVERLYING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CROWN SECTION; MEANS ON THE CROWN SECTIONOF THE HAT MEMBER FOR NORMALLY MAINTAINING THE MAST IN SAID FOLDEDPOSITION AND OPERABLE TO RELEASE SAID MAST TO ITS NORMAL UPWARD POSITIONUPON IMPACT OF THE MAST AGAINST THE WATER WHEN THE SKIER FALLS; ANDMEANS DEFINING A WARNING DEVICE ON THE UPPER END OF SAID MAST.